2. INTRODUCTION
• A man's life is normally divided into five main stages namely
• infancy,
• childhood,
• adolescence,
• adulthood and
• old age.
• In each of these stages an individual has to find himself in different situations
and face different problems.
• In old age physical strength deteriorates, mental stability diminishes; money
power becomes bleak coupled with negligence from the younger generation.
3. DEFINITION
• Elderly is an individual over 65 years old with a functional impairments
• Elderly care, or simply eldercare, is the fulfillment of the special needs and
requirements that are unique to senior citizens.
• This broad term encompasses such services as assisted living, adult day
care, long term care, nursing homes (often referred to as residential care),
hospice care and home care
5. INTRODUCTION
• Aging is not merely the passage of time but also manifestation of
biological events that occur over a span of time.
• It is important to recognize that people age differently.
• The aging body does change, some systems slow down, while others lose
their "fine tuning."
• As a general rule, slight, gradual changes are common, and most of these
are not problems to the person who experiences them. Sudden and
dramatic changes might indicate serious health problems.
6. Normal aging has four aspects
• BIOLOGICALASPECT OF AGING
• PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF AGING
• SOCIOCULTURAL ASPECTS OF AGING
• SEXUALASPECTS OF AGEING
7. • Individuals are unique in their psychological and physical aging process.
• As the individual ages, there is a quantitative loss of cells and changes in
many of enzymatic activities within cells.
• Age related a change occurs at different rate in different people.
BIOLOGICALASPECT OF AGING
8. NERVOUS SYSTEM
• Gradual loss in the number of neurons with age and no change
in the neurotransmitter level.
• Decreased speed of neural conduction
• Brain tissue atrophy: Decreased number of brain cells
• Decreased cerebral circulation
• Decrease in cell of the nerve fibers
• Decreased muscle tone, motor speed, and nerve conduction
velocity.
• Decline in memory for recent events
11. Assessment Findings
• Decreased position and vibration sense
• Diminished reflexes, possible absent ankle Jerks
• Complaints of fall and impaired balance.
• Wide based gait with decreased arm swing.
• Decreased rapid eye movement sleep
• Decrease in gait speed, decreased step length, stride length, and arm swing.
NERVOUS SYSTEM
13. Eye
• The cornea flattens which reduces the refractory power
• Loss of orbital fat, loss of elastic tissue and decreased muscle tone.
• The retina of older individual becomes thinner because of fewer neural
cells and receives only 1/3rd of the amount of light that of a younger
person. Due to this problem in reading, not able to see in dim light and also
have difficulty in colour perception.
• The lens of the eye loses its elasticity and increases in density
20. Ear:
• Hearing problem: Usual progression from high tone or high frequency
loss to a general loss of both high and low tones.
• Cerumen gland are reduced in number dry and hard ear wax with itching.
• Degenerative changes occur in ossicles contributing to hearing loss
• Presbycusis is the term used to describe hearing loss associated with
normal aging.
• Consonants not heard well
• Decreased speech discrimination
• Increased sound threshold
22. Ear:
Assessment Findings
• Increased volume of patients own voice.
• Turning of head towards speaker
• Request to the speaker to repeat
• Inappropriate answers
• The person may withdraw, demonstrate short span and become
frustrated, angry and depressed
• Lack of response to a loud voice
23. Smell
• Decreased ability to smell due to sinus disease preventing odours from
reaching smell receptors
• Decreased discrimination to odours
• Decreased more in men than women
Assessment Findings
• Inability to notice unpleasant odours
• Decreased attention towards pleasant smells
• Decreased appetite
25. Taste
• Decreased ability to taste.
• Taste perception and taste discrimination decreases as the age advances
• Taste buds decreases with age especially in men
• Taste buds lost from front to the back
Assessment Findings
• Complaints of food has no taste
• Excessive use of sugar and salt
• Inability to identify the foods
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Decrease pleasure from food
27. INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM
• Decreased elasticity
• Decreased secretion of natural oil and perspiration
• Thinning of skin and decreased ability to act as barrier
• Decreased heat regulation
• Decreased protection against trauma and solar exposure
• The number of pressure and light touch sensors decreases with age
• Decrease in Immune, vascular and thermoregulatory responses of the skin
• Loss of hair colour and thinning of pubic, axillary and scalp hair.
• Drier skin because of decreased number of sebaceous glands
29. CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
• Decreased physical demands and activity of heart.
• Valves of heart become thick and rigid as a result of sclerosis and fibrosis
• Decreased contractility of heart: slower heart rate and reduce cardiac output
• Maximum heart rate and aerobic capacity decreases with age
• Blood vessels become thick and rigid, resulting in elevated blood pressure.
• Affects the function of organs due to less oxygen and blood supply.
• Diminished ability to respond to stress.
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33. CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
• Normal blood pressure or below
• Hypertention:
• Pre hypertension
• Stage I hypertension
• Stage II hypertention
• Prolonged tachycardia may occur following stress
Assessment Findings
34. RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
• Respiratory muscles are atrophy and weaken so reduced elastic recoil of
chest wall.
• Increased rigidity of thoracic cage, Short of breath
• Residual volume and functional residual capacity increase.
• Decreased gas exchange and diffusing capacity
• Decreased elasticity and vital capacity
• Decrease in mucus transport or ciliary system, therefore reduced
clearance of mucus and foreign bodies.
36. RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
• Prolonged cough
• Inability to raise secretions
• Increase frequency of respiratory infections
• Difficult and deep breathing
• Get tired too quick
Assessment Findings
37. MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM
• Bone resorption exceed formation resulting decreased in bone density
• Aging brings decline in numbers of muscles resulting reduced muscle mass, size
and strength
• Decreased thickness and resiliency of cartilage
• In aging, the increased parathyroid hormone, decreased vitamin D and calcitonin
also play role in calcium loss in older people.
• In women, estrogen deficiency, calcium malabsorption, lifestyle factors (calcium
intake and exercise) can result in bone loss.
• The receptors in joint and muscle loose function, so change in balance
• The muscle strength also reduces especially due to lack of exercise.
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42. MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM
• Walking with shorter step length, less leg lift, a wider base
and tendency to lean forward
• Less ability to stop a fall to occur
• Muscle atrophy
• Increase incidence of fractures
• Joint stiffness
• Alteration in posture, ability to transfer and gait
• Complaint of dizziness.
Assessment Findings
43. URINARY SYSTEM
• Decreased blood supply and loss of nephrons
• Less blood can be filtered by the kidney
• Decreased bladder capacity and diluting ability hence concentrating.
• Increased prostate size in male and relaxed perineal muscles in female
• In men, aging leads to urinary incontinence (dribbling).
• increase in involuntary bladder contractions,
• a reduction in bladder capacity
• increase in residual volume.
• Weak pelvic muscles causes stress incontinence.
44. Decrease in cortical volume
& cortico-medullary ratio
Increase in surface
roughness
Increase in number
and size of renal cysts
Old
Young
45. URINARY SYSTEM
• Concentrated urine
• Frequent urination with lesser volume
• Involuntary urination as age advances
• Delayed sensation to void.
• Increased incidence of UTI
Assessment Findings
46. GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM
• Decreased salivary secretions, loose or loss of teeth
• Lose of sense of smell and taste so decrease the appetite
• Slowing of peristaltic action
• Altered nutrition, digestion and bowel function
• Weakening of lower esophageal sphincter
• Liver weight and size decreases with age
• There is decrease in number of hepatic cells and as a result, a diminished
capacity for metabolism of drugs and hormones.
48. GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM
• Teethless gum or loose teeth
• Difficult to chew food
• Decrease the appetite and desire to food
• Involuntary defecation
• Low digestibility
Assessment Findings
49. REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: FEMALE
• Decreased breast tissue
• Sexual dysfunction due to hormonal insufficiency
• Vaginal narrowing and decreased elasticity with thinning of vaginal wall
• Decreased vaginal secretions resulting dryness, itching and decreased acidity
• Decreased pubococcygeal muscle tone resulting in relaxed vagina and
perineum
• Involution of uterus and ovaries
• Cessation of cyclicity
51. REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: FEMALE
• Decreased sexual desire
• Vaginal narrowing and decreased elasticity
• Dry and itchy vagina, painful inetrcourse
• Decreased breast tissue
• Menopause
• Atrophic vaginitis
Assessment Findings
52. • Decreased size of penis and testes
• Erectile ability undergoes changes. Takes longer time for erection, amount of
semen is reduced and the intensity of ejaculation is lessened.
• It is not clear that whether the increase in impotence is age related
REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: MALE
